Languages update

'One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.'

Frank Smith

As we are coming up to subject selection, it would be timely to spend some time talking about options for Languages. There are many benefits to studying a Language – here are just a few:

Academic achievement – improvement in literacy, cognitive development and thinking skills through learning languages.
Work and career opportunities – the ability to compete on a global, multilingual job market.
Global citizenship – gaining the ability to deal respectfully with others.
Personal benefits – opportunities to travel through student exchange and tours; communication world-wide.
Maintenance of cultural identity and diversity.

For those who are interested in learning a little more, I will also reference helpful links at the end to academic studies relating to the benefits of studying a second (or third) language.

Google soft skills

A few years ago, Google conducted an analysis of its personnel data and came up with a list of the most important qualities of top employees. The top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills:

being a good coach
communicating and listening well
possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view)
having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues.
being a good critical thinker and problem solver
being able to make connections across complex ideas.

Not surprisingly, these are all the sorts of things we do in our language learning classrooms. It’s not just about language acquisition. Even if your daughter is not planning to continue with her language studies, she is practising critical and creative thinking in her language classroom, as well synthesis and analysis skills that will stand her in good stead in whatever direction she chooses for her future studies.

Language pathways at Shelford

Students in Year 7 are required to study at least one Language in Year 8. They can choose either Japanese or French, but they also have the option to continue with both languages in Year 8.
Studying a language is compulsory in Year 9 and students will continue the language they are studying in Year 9, but students who choose to study two languages in Year 8 are not locked into continuing two Languages in Year 9. They can drop back to one Language in 2023 if they choose.
Languages are completely optional in Year 10, but a Year 10 sequence is a pre-requisite for VCE Language studies.

We’ve put up some posters around the school with links to some more information about studying languages, and you might also be interested in following these links:

Reasearch papers

Learning Skills – Krizman et al., 2012
Memory – Morales et al., 2013
Concentration – Bialystok & Craik, 2010
Problem solving skills and critical thinking – Boaz, et al., 2012
Language sensitivity and awareness – Werker & Sebastian-Galles, 2011
Open mindedness and flexibility – Gold et al., 2013

Julie Devine

Head of Languages